Recently, vehicles are automatized by a plurality of electronic components and sensors. The electronic component and sensor are electrically connected to a controller, an operating system or a power source through a cable or a cable connector coupled to the cable, and transmit control signals or power. At this time, an irregular electromagnetic wave is generated by an electrical signal, so that malfunction occurs to the electronic component or the sensor controlled by a fine signal, resulting in a traffic accident.
Generally, signal transmission between the electronic component and the controller is made by a harness for connecting the electronic component to the controller. The harness has a plurality cables, and connectors installed at one end or both ends of the cables. The plural cables are bundled into one bunch by a bundling member. The connector of the harness is connected to a connector directly attached to an electronic equipment unit such as the electronic component, the controller and the operating system.
The cable and connector of the harness and the connector attached to the electronic equipment unit should be protected from external electrical interference so as to prevent distortion of a signal transmitted therethrough. In the case that signal distortion occurs due to indirect/direct electrical interference from an external source, a driver may get into danger due to malfunction of the controller and so on. Therefore, it needs to protect the cable and connector of the harness and the connector attached to the electronic equipment unit from external electrical interference.
A method for protecting the cable of the harness from external electrical interference is largely divided into individual shielding and bunch shielding. The individual shielding method installs a shield member within each cable, and the bunch shielding method forms a woven layer or installs a shield member around the outside of a cable bunch to simultaneously shield external electrical interference.
The connector of the harness or the connector attached to the electronic equipment unit is formed as a shielded connector for shielding external electrical interference. That is, a female shielded connector of the harness is electrically connected to a male shielded connector of the electronic equipment unit to form a shield structure that prevents malfunction caused by an electromagnetic wave. For example, the shield structure is formed by connecting the male shielded connector to the female shielded connector with bolts.
However, the bolt used to connect the male shielded connector to the female shielded connector invites the increased size of products, and makes it difficult to connect and detach the male shielded connector to/from the female shielded connector. And, the bolt and the male and female shielded connectors coupled to the bolt are worn away or the bolt gets loose under various conditions of vehicle jolting where a shielded connector assembly (comprising the male shielded connector and the female shielded connector) is placed. Further, metal powder is generated due to wear and tear of the bolt and the male and female shielded connectors coupled to the bolt, and intrudes into a terminal contact portion between the male shielded connector and the female shielded connector, resulting in short circuit and arc.
Meanwhile, as vehicles are provided with a plurality of electronic equipment units for function improvement, an installation space for a shielded connector assembly is insufficient. For example, conventionally male and female shielded connectors were formed in the shape of a line, and they were linearly arranged and assembled in a shielded connector assembly. For this reason, it was difficult to install the shielded connector assembly in a small or angled space. To overcome the drawback, studies have been made to efficiently install the shielded connector assembly.